| Mark 6-10 Continued...
"Five Loaves and Two Fish"
Mark 6:30-56
Beginning with verse 30 of Mark chapter
6, "Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told him all
things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
And he said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted
place and rest awhile.' For there were many coming and going
and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to
a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes
saw them departing and many knew him and ran there on foot
from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together
to him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw a great multitude
and was moved with compassion for them because they were like
sheep not having a shepherd. So he began to teach them many
things. And when the day was now far spent, his disciples
came to him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and already
the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the
villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to
eat.' But he answered and said to them, 'You give them something
to eat.' And they said to him, 'Shall we go and buy two hundred
denari worth of bread and give them something to eat?' But
he said to them, 'How many loaves do you have? Go and see.'
And when they found out they said, 'Five, and two fish.' Then
he commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the
green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in
fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two
fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves,
and gave them to his disciples to set before them, and the
two fish he divided among them all. So they all ate and were
filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments
and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about
five thousand men" (Mark 6:30-44).
Here you read, the apostles, disciples gathered to Jesus.
And as we studied last week, the disciples were sent out sort
of on their first missionary journey. They'd been spending
time with Jesus, and for the first time he sends them out
on their own. And now they've gathered back to him after some
time and they began to just share with him all the things
they had done and all the things they had seen and the things
they had taught. And no doubt it was an awesome experience
for them to go out and just see God work as you'd read there
before and earlier in chapter six, they went out and they
healed the sick as God gave them power to heal the sick. And
the saw demons cast out of people. So they took this step
of faith. And now they've seen God do a great work. So they've
come back to Jesus and certainly it's been an awesome experience
as they share the great stories and reports. And in verse
31, Jesus tells the disciples--we don't know how long it's
been, it's been some amount of time--but he says, "Go and
get some rest. Go to a deserted place." Because the people
just kept coming. As Jesus has been ministering, we're at
least at the mid-point of Jesus' ministry, people from all
around, from far away, as we continue into Mark chapter 7,
have heard about him, and heard about the great work that
he's doing. Not only is he teaching the Word of God, but also
he's performing great miracles. Paralytics have been healed
and blind have been healed so they've gone back to their communities
and they're all amazed from what they see, so multitudes and
multitudes just continue to come. And Jesus knows that and
sees just the toll it's taking and just the--it's taken a
lot upon the disciples. He says to the disciples, "Let's get
in the boat and go and get some rest." And the people just
keep coming and coming. So in verse 32, they get in the boat
and depart to a deserted place. As you see there and as you
see in other parts of the Bible, no doubt it's important for
us to get rest as we minister. It's important for us to go
and get refreshed and get renewed. It's important to Jesus,
he tells the disciples to go and get refreshed. It's without
a doubt, you and I can become weary and burned out if we don't
go and get some rest, sometimes due to the never-ending need.
You know, I shared earlier in the first service, man, there's
great need around us, our communities and our families and
with our friends. And no doubt as we continue to meet needs
you can get spent out and get tired. And sometimes pressured,
you know, to go 24-7, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because
there's just so much need and you feel you just can't stop.
I don't know about you, but when I sit down, there's times
when I feel guilty for sitting down and taking a moment to
rest. I know my wife does when it comes to doing things around
the house. But that's not what God desires for us. He desires
for us to rest. He wants us to work hard, but he wants us
to take a break, get refreshed and get renewed. In fact, in
Exodus 23 when God instituted the Sabbath, he instructed the
Israelites, he said, 'Six days you shall do your work, and
on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey
may rest, the son of your servant and the stranger may be
refreshed.' God instructed his people to go and get some rest--take
some time out and get some rest, but not only for themselves
but also for those that are around them, even for their animals.
He says 'Hey, take a break.' 'Give the ox a rest and give
your wife a rest and your kids.' You know for some of the
guys here this morning, they're just work-aholics. You need
to take some rest now and then--if not for yourself, at least
for your wife and kids and family, they need rest. It's good
to rest and get renewed. It's good to rest indeed, but at
the same time it's important to know that we need to be cautious
about idleness. Rest is important, but also we need to know
that idleness is not good. We know that David, king David,
when he had some extended downtime, it was at that time when
he was on the roof of the palace and lusting after another
man's wife, and it was at that time when he really fell pretty
hard. And if you allow a lot of idleness in your life, you're
going to find that at times you're up to no good because you
just had a lot of time on you hands and the enemy came in
there and tempted you and you did some things you wish you
hadn't done. And a good guard, and we can set a guard, is
to just get busy doing God's work. Get busy just doing his
work and letting that consume your thoughts and your time.
Take the time to rest for sure, but don't be idle. Idleness
results in low productivity, physical productivity, spiritual
productivity--and Solomon told us in Proverbs, and he said,
"The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul
of the diligent shall be made rich." So indeed, the Bible
exhorts us to work hard and to be diligent. But yet at the
same time, to take a break and to rest and be renewed.
Jesus in verse 33, "And the disciples headed to a deserted
place to get some rest." But by the time they get there
it isn't deserted anymore. In fact, there's another large
multitude waiting for them when they get there--a multitude
waiting for them when they get there--a multitude of thousands.
As they depart, some of the folks that they're ministering
to see where they head, see the direction where they're going,
so they decided to run along the shoreline. And as they're
running along the shoreline, they stop by some villages and
cities and other people get excited and by the time the boat
finally gets to the point of docking there's now a huge multitude,
maybe bigger than the one they left. And I don't know about
you--the disciples were weary--I don't know about you, but
if I were on that boat I probably would have gotten annoyed
at this time. I'd start to get a little frustrated, perturbed.
You know, these people, man, how inconsiderate. They decided
to get in the boat to be alone a little bit so we could get
some rest and here they are running around the shoreline and
they're back now waiting for us when we get there. I'd be
a little annoyed. I don't know about you. But Jesus, seeing
this multitude, is not annoyed at all. [And don't forget,
he just lost his cousin John, who was beheaded by Herod].
Neither is he perturbed, as you read there in those verses.
In fact, it says, he was moved with compassion as he sees
these people. He's tired, no doubt. But yet he's moved with
compassion. The Greek for the word there--it says that he's
moved with compassion--indicates that the emotion that he
was experiencing was so deep that it was even rooted in his
stomach. He could feel it in his stomach, a very deep heart
for the people as they gathered there. He was moved because
of their helplessness. He saw their desperate need and it's
recorded there. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. They
wanted answers, they had needs, but there wasn't really anyone
there to help them. Of course, he came to help them, to bring
life to them.
You know, I've been reading through the book of Exodus this
past week, and I noted the deep compassion of God as I was
reading in Exodus chapter 22. But if you remember those chapters,
you may not, it's the time where God appears on Sinai to the
people of Israel, as they've come out of the Red Sea. And
he appears to them and begins to give to them the Law through
Moses. But in the middle of the Law he made this note, and
I thought it was really interesting. And I said, 'Man, God,
you're so compassionate.' But God instructed the Israelites,
he said this, "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless
child. If you afflict them in any way and they cry out at
all to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will
become hot, and I will kill you with the sword. Your wives
shall be widows and your children fatherless." God's instructing
in this time about sharing all about the Law and about things
he wanted the people of Israel to do and in the middle of
this he just makes this point. 'Don't ever harm a widow and
don't ever harm an orphan, and if you harm an orphan, and
if you harm a widow' he says, 'I'm gonna come and kill you
and your wife will be a widow and your kids will be orphaned.'
Now as I read that, I said, "Wow! The compassion of God that
he feels so strongly for orphans--you know, you think of an
orphan, maybe in another country, as you watch on T.V. You
know the different commercials, they're easy prey to somebody
who wants to take advantage of them. Or a widow, a widow you
know, that is struggling with children and just has great
need. And God said to the people of Israel when he gave to
them the Law, he says, "Don't ever harm a widow, and don't
ever harm an orphan." My heart goes out to them. "And I tell
you, you want to see my wrath, take advantage of an orphan
or widow and I'll take care of you" is what he says. You know,
I read that, and said, 'Wow! The compassion of God. And here
Jesus [who was YHVH, the 2nd member of the Trinity
who was the God-personage of the Old Testament] stands there,
he finally is tired, it's been, we've read, day in and day
out, of all that he's done, and now he's there and there's
a great multitude of thousands. And yet he's moved with compassion
for them, seeing they have needs, great needs. As I think
of Exodus 22, you know I'm thankful as I see the pictures
on the cartons today of missing children and different posters
posted in different places, I'm thankful that God sees all
that and that it doesn't go without notice, he's certainly
going to take care of those who harm the orphan and the widow.
You may wonder this morning if God understands your need.
You say, "I've got a need in my life. I wonder if God really
understands?" You may wonder if the situation in your life
that maybe you find yourself in, that God really understands
or even sees the situation. But you know as you read these
verses here, it's clear that God has a compassion for us,
and sees the needs and the situation that we find ourselves
in. In fact, Jesus is tired but he sees all these needy people
and his heart is so moved with compassion for them. Well,
seeing them as a sheep without a shepherd, Jesus begins to
teach them. And what is the greatest need of a sheep without
a shepherd? The greatest need is truth. So Jesus begins to
teach them. But you know by teaching these people the truth,
that's going to protect them from false teachers and having
others take advantage of them. It's going to protect them
and give them wisdom in making decisions and going down the
right course and heading into situations that are good for
them rather than bad for them. So Jesus sees their need, sheep
without a shepherd, so he begins to teach them, and just gives
them truth, the Word of God. Solomon exhorted his son, in
Proverbs chapter 3. He said, "Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
and the man who gains understanding. For her proceeds are
better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine
gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things
you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days are
in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy
are all who retain her." Solomon said, you know man, wisdom
is better than rubies. Happy are those who have wisdom and
gain understanding. It's just such a profit to them, that
nothing else compares.
So Jesus, seeing these people who have just such great need,
just need for direction--he just begins to teach them wisdom.
And indeed there's nothing better than to know the truth.
Well it's now late, as you read in verse 35-37. It's late
in the day. And the disciples come to Jesus and they exhort
him to dismiss this crowd of people. Because it's been a long
day and they're hungry. They haven't had a meal in awhile,
so the disciples say, 'Hey Jesus, you know, get rid of this
crowd for awhile so they can go to the villages and go to
the stores and get something to eat.' I mean, these people
are so desperate that they're in the wilderness. Evidently
you know, the Sea of Galilee was about four miles across at
this point, and about eight miles along the shore, so they've
had an eight mile run anyway. And then they're standing there
with Jesus. They're tired and hungry in the heat of the day,
and it's getting late in the day, so the disciples do what
you and I would probably do and say, "Hey Jesus, let these
people go and eat. I mean, they just want to hear your words,
but send 'em away, dismiss them so they can get some food."
Well Jesus gives a very interesting response. In response
to his disciples he says, "You give 'em something to eat."
"You feed 'em." "You feed this group of 5, 8, 10 thousand
people." Well, the disciples respond, maybe as I would respond,
they basically say, "WHAT!?! That would cost 200 dinari
to feed all these people. Hey boss, you know how much we get
paid, it would take about eight month's wage to feed all these
people. Come on, we don't have that kind of money to feed
these people. That's impossible, too big of a task." Well
Jesus is getting at a point. He then asks them, he says, "Go
and see how many loaves you have." Well, when you put all
the gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together,
you kind of get the whole picture. All four accounts share
about this situation. But taking from the gospel of John,
Andrew then brings a small boy to Jesus who has five small
barley loaves and two fish, and he says to Jesus, "Well, this
is all we found, five loaves and two fish." And that ain't
gonna do it either. He says that in the book of John. This
can't take care of this crowd. It could give 'em a little
teaser maybe. Well Jesus then commands the disciples to make
all the people sit down in groups. The people are organized
then in groups of 100's and 50's. You could just picture them
on the green grass in colored clothing, it looked like a flower
garden as they're all sitting in little circles, 5, 8, 10
thousand people. And with that, Jesus then takes the loaves,
five loaves, two fish, looks up to heaven, blesses and breaks
the loaves and he gives them to the disciples and then they
take the pieces and they give them to different people. Incredibly
you read in verse 42 that all the people eat and they're all
satisfied. The Greek would actually suggest, in the tense
of the Greek, that they're full, I mean, they've had plenty
to eat. And so Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and
breaks them, gives them pieces, gives them a piece and just
keeps giving them out. It isn't like these people had a little
nibble. The people have eaten a lot, all from five loaves
and two fish. Well Jesus wants to make sure the disciples
understand the point. Then we read in John, he says to them,
"Get some baskets and go gather up the fragments." So they
gather up the fragments and amazingly there's one basket for
every disciple. There's twelve baskets, full to the top, of
fragments left over. Not only did eight thousand, ten thousand
people eat from these five loaves and two fish, but when you
get the fragments, they've got twelve baskets of fragments
of just the overflow of the stuff left over.
Why do you think Jesus decided to perform this miracle in
this manner? You know, he could have just ordered McDonalds
truck to show up or something, or a caravan of produce people
to show up and feed the people or something. Or he could have
just given them a ton of money. Why did he go about it this
way? Why do you think? Well John I think gives us the answer
in John's account, the gospel of John. Jesus is recorded there,
as the multitude began to come towards them, Jesus actually
turns to Phillip. And we don't have it here, but we have it
in the other account, he says directly to Phillip, he says,
"Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?" He actually
begins to tease Phillip a little bit. He knows what they're
kind of thinking and where they're at, but he's trying to
make a point. Then John records for us in verse 6 of chapter
6, "But this he said," that is Jesus said to him, "said to
test him, for he himself knew what he would do." He was just
testing the disciples, testing their heart, testing their
faith, that's why he did it this way. The disciples, you know,
have come back from this missionary journey. They've seen
Jesus do some great miracles, they've seen Jesus work through
them to heal the sick. I mean, it would be amazing to pray
for some guy that's a paralytic and see him walk. They've
seen Jesus work through them to cast out demons out of people.
So they've come back, they're excited, they've seen all these
miracles. Certainly they've been learning that Jesus isn't
just a prophet, he isn't just a teacher, he isn't just a guy
with a philosophy--that he also has the ability to do miracles,
has tremendous power. But they still don't fully understand
the truth of who he is. That he's the Son of
God, that he's Divine, that he's come from heaven, that he's
God's Son. So they don't understand that yet. So Jesus is
still testing them, to teach them who he is. So he just continues
to test them. The better answer I think Phillip could have
given, that Jesus was trying to get at, an answer like this,
and that would be, "Hey Phillip, how are we going to get some
food for these folks?" Phillip could have just said to him,
"Hey, you're the Son of God, you're the Creator of the heavens
and the earth. Jesus, man, we've seen you raise the dead,
we've seen you heal the sick. Hey, you can feed these people.
Hey, you can even use me, you used me to pray for some guy
the other day and he couldn't talk and then he was talking
or he was demon possessed and was delivered. Hey, you used
me before. You could even use me to feed these people, Jesus.
Certainly you're the Son of God." Well, that wasn't the understanding
completely yet of the disciples. So Jesus is testing them.
You know when he sent them out on the last missionary journey,
he said, "Take just a staff, don't take clothes, don't take
food, because I want to show you that as you go out from day
to day to community to community, I'm going to provide for
you." And they've had that experience too. Yet when it comes
to feeding a multitude, they don't quite understand how it
can be done. They don't believe that Jesus can do it I guess.
You know, personally, I'm not interested in any man's philosophy.
I'm not going to invest my time in some guy's cute or clever
teaching about life. But I do want to serve God with my life.
I do want to serve my Creator. And Jesus is showing the disciples
that 'Hey, I'm not just some Mohammed, or Buddha that's come
just to teach this or that. I've come because I'm the Son
of God. I've come to give life and give hope. So he's showing,
he's teaching them about his power and about why he's come,
and what he can do. He didn't just come with some warm and
fuzzy teaching. He came to give life.
The disciples counted everything up. Jesus said, "Hey, how
are you going to feed these guys?" and "Why don't you do it?"
and they counted it all up and they forgot to include Jesus.
I guess you could say they forgot to include the J-factor,
you know. They added it all up, "You've got five dinari, you've
got five fish, we've got a couple other little coins, we've
got some juice over here. Well we've got eight thousand people
over here--we can't do it. Added it all up, not possible."
But they forgot to include Jesus. In fact, the presence of
Jesus with them seemed not to make a difference to them when
they considered the solution here to this problem. Maybe today
you find yourself in a similar situation. You've got five
loaves, you've got two fish, whatever that might mean in your
life, and you've got this great big need in front of you.
And maybe you're in a situation in your life, like you know
"Five loaves and two fish doesn't add up. This need is too
big for me, I can't, I don't know what I'm gonna do. It's
kind of desperate." Have you counted it all up? Maybe you've
looked in the bank, maybe consulted all of man's methods,
and you're in despair because the situation is too big. Maybe
you forgot to include Jesus in the whole calculation. You
know with God -mathematics, one plus one is not two with Jesus,
that's for sure. When God created the heavens and the earth,
he created the order that's here. He's outside of mathematics.
He's outside of time. He's not constrained by any of those
elements. Are you in a situation and Jesus is there with you
and you just haven't included him in the whole solution? I
believe God has got you right where he wants you. He's put
you in a situation to test you so that you'd learn about the
character of God. So that you'd learn that Jesus is real.
You know what, when I first became a Christian, indeed, it
took a step of faith. I had to, you know, you can't see God.
The Bible says this. I've never heard God's voice audibly.
So I had to take a step of faith. But in being a Christian
now, for the years I've been a Christian, especially in ministering
here in New England, I am so certain of the existence of God,
I don't need to see Jesus, I am so sure he's close to me,
I don't doubt it for a moment. Just because of all the power
he's worked in my life and in the situation around me. He's
just so real, I don't doubt it for a moment. And God has brought
me through difficult situations to test me too, to show me
that, "Hey, you're in a situation that man can't handle. But
are you going to trust me to deal with this environment or
situation?" and I've seen God do it. And I know he's real.
I don't doubt it for a moment. And it's just beautiful to
see the things that he has done.
You know you look here at Jesus and the feeding of the five
thousand, and you can't help but think of God and the Israelites.
You know the Israelites, they saw the plagues. As God brought
the Israelites out of Egypt they saw all those plagues, saw
even Moses take his staff and it became a serpent. All these
things, they saw all these miracles that God said he would
do, and he indeed did. And then they come out of Egypt and
then they come to the Red Sea and God divides the Red Sea,
and they go through the Red Sea, and there's walls of water.
And they walk through and they're looking at walls of water.
And there's a cloud around them and they get through the Red
Sea and they see the Red Sea cave in on the largest army in
the world and destroy all these great chariots--600 chariots
and all these great army men--saw all that and they get to
this body of water and they see God make this body of water
sweet so they could drink, then they go a little bit further,
and in Exodus chapter 16, verse 22--this is what we read:
"Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of
Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread
to the full. For you brought us into the wilderness to kill
this whole assembly with hunger." I mean, they go there a
little bit more and it's been a day or two and they're hungry
and they're like, "Oh God, how could you do this to us? You
know you brought us out here, you're going to starve us."
And you know, God has been doing all these miracles in their
lives. And they've seen them, they don't doubt it, and yet
they can't seem to trust God for the meal that they needed
at that moment, in Exodus 16. Have you ever been there before?
God's working answer to prayer and then when it comes to the
next little test you just lose it? You know, "Oh, what am
I going to do? Oh Lord, Lord" --you know. "God, you've failed
me" or whatever. We're people of little faith. Well as you
read in Exodus, God responds by raining bread from heaven.
Basically the manna comes, covers the ground for forty years.
God feeds millions of Israelites for forty years in the desert.
Certainly, he can provide for you. In whatever situation you
find yourself in, certainly he can do it. Fed for forty years,
two million Israelites in the desert.
Jesus, I think he included his disciples to see how he distributes
the food, and you get a better picture as you put all the
accounts together. He actually does, he takes the bread, he
takes the fish and breaks it and then he gives the pieces
to the disciples and the disciples give to the people. Jesus
doesn't give directly to them, he just continues to hand it
to the disciples so that the disciples are right in the midst
of this whole miracle that's transpiring. "Something's going
on here. You know, I know he only has five loaves, but we've
made a lot of trips already, and he keeps just giving me bread.
And he keeps giving me fish. And I thought there were only
two fish, but I think that I've counted at least a hundred
that I've distributed." It just keeps happening, they keep
going back and he just keeps doing it and doing it. But he
had them feel every piece, had them feel every fish, look
at every piece of bread so that they would certainly see and
get a sense of what's going on as he did this. Yet as God
works, it happened very naturally. When I was studying last
night, you know the fireworks were going off in our neighborhood,
you know, the big booms and the bright lights. And so often
that's what we want to see. "God, I want to hear the big boom"
you know. "I want to see the flashing light." But yet Jesus
and God, works supernaturally and yet very naturally. It's
happening right under your nose. The fish are multiplying,
the bread is multiplying--just so naturally it's happening.
And the disciples kind of miss some of it. They know a miracle's
happened, but things still don't register as you go on in
the text. God doesn't always choose the method that we desire.
He's not some little slot-machine for us to come up and push
his buttons and you know--I want this, I want that. He doesn't
work that way. But he does choose the method that will clearly
show you and I that he is God and that he is our Provider.
He's working to teach us to trust him. He's testing our faith.
With the Israelites he rained bread from heaven, he provided
manna, and he told them, if you remember, you know, "Gather
manna, but don't gather any extra for the next day because
when you get up the next morning it's gonna spoil." And of
course the Israelites, just like us, what do they do? They
go get extra. He told them not to, but they do, and the very
next day it spoils, there's worms, it's just all gross and
there's a stench. So they learned, all right. But then he
says, "I'm gonna change the rules here a little on you, on
the sixth day--I've told you to rest on the seventh day--so
on the sixth day I want you to go out in the morning when
the dew goes away and the manna's there, the supernatural
manna, on the ground. I want you to gather twice as much.
And on the seventh day there's not going to be any. So you
need to gather twice as much, you need to rest, and you need
to provide for the following day." So what do the Israelites
do? They don't gather enough, they go out on the seventh day
and there's not any there, just as God told them. And God
is just teaching them, but God even changed the rules on them.
And with the Israelites he was making it so clear to them--"I
AM THE PROVIDER. Not only am I going to rain bread from heaven,
you can't pick up more than you need, but on the sixth day
I want you to pick up twice as much because there won't be
any on the seventh." He's just showing them that he is the
provider. He fed them that way for forty years. Yet so often
they still weren't getting it.
You know today there are many needs about us in the community,
many needs about us even in this church and our families and
our friends. I guess you could say, as Jesus said, there are
many sheep without shepherds. Can you and I, can we trust
God to use us, our five loaves and our two fish, to meet the
many needs that we see? Can we trust God? I was in a meeting
recently, with a school system. There's a particular young
man that just was struggling and because of that his grades
were struggling so there was this meeting. I was asked to
be a part of it. The family met with the principle of the
local school and vice principle and a counselor. So I was
part of this meeting and we were just discussing this person's
situation as he was struggling through school, and what we're
going to do. And as this meeting was transpiring I asked the
counselor of all this town school system, and he seemed like
a neat man, but I asked him this question I said, "You know,
I'm 33 years of age, but when I was in High School it seemed
to me kids could read better than they can today. As a pastor
and my interaction with kids it seems that there are a lot
of kids that can't read today. What's up with that? Why can't
kids read today?" Well this man responded, he said, "You know,
when you went to High School there were 20 students per teacher
in the school." He said, "Today there's 30 students per teacher."
He said the problem is bigger than us. We can only do what
we can do. So the teaching environment isn't as effective
as it was." He just told me that the problem's too big. Well
then as this meeting continued I sat there quietly. I listened
to the parents tell the school, you know, that they were concerned
that the school was failing, then I listened to the school
tell the parents that they were failing. And both of them
began to talk about it. I just sat there and watched as they
talked. You know, they were talking about the videos, they
were talking about the T.V., they were talking about all these
things. "You know, we can only do what we can do, but our
society is just so influential and it's just influencing the
kids. And they all were admitting--I just listened--that the
problem was too big for them. And the truth is, the problem
is too big. There's no doubt that in some of America the family
structure is just coming apart--the dumbing down of America.
We've got kids today who can't read. But you know, I believe
it's opportunity for the Church, because God is still God.
God still takes five loaves and two fish and he still multiplies
them...
...You know, you just take love and give love to a young person
today--how it impacts their life. Today young people are being
ripped off in many ways. They're not hearing about God, they're
not hearing about hope, and they're not even getting educated
today. You know, as Christians God has given us love, his
power, we can go out, man, and just love some kids and watch
the loaves multiply and fish multiply. God can take five loaves
and two fish and multiply them. Are you willing and able to
take the faith and trust and to do it? Because God will test
you in it.
Paul remarked about Jesus. He said, "And Jesus said to me,
'My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect
in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in
my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and
needs and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul said, "I don't have
much, but man, the power of God will work through me." Again
Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter four, verse seven, "But
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, our bodies, that
the essence of the power may be of God and not of us." People
look at you and say, "Man, you don't have a whole lot, but
look at what's going on." And they give glory to God because
it's a God-thing and there's nothing else that can explain
it, the work of God. I'm not interested in some philosophical
system. I'm not interested in somebody's clever ideas. But
I'm interested in serving my God and my Creator. And Jesus
over and over shows us in the gospel and his Word that he
is God. He didn't just teach, his Word is transforming, it's
life...he raised the dead, he multiplied the five loaves and
two fish so his disciples would know that he'd come to give
life and to give hope.
Verses 45-56, "Immediately he made his disciples get into
the boat and go before him to the other side to Bethsaida,
while he sent the multitude away. And when he had sent them
away, he departed to the mountain to pray. Now, when evening
came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and he was alone
on the land. Then he saw them straining at rowing, for the
wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night
he came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed
them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they supposed
it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw him and were
troubled. And immediately he talked with them and said to
them, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.' Then
he went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And
they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and
marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because
their heart was hardened.
[the pastor stopped short of expounding on what follows] When
they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret
and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately
the people recognized him, ran through that whole surrounding
region and began to carry about on beds those who were sick
to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he entered, into villages,
cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces,
and begged him that they might just touch the border of his
garment. And as many as touched him were made well." Now this
is an interesting story. They go from the feeding of the five
thousand. Jesus, immediately, it says, disperses the crowd
and immediately and emphatically gets the disciples into the
boat and has them set sail. And the reason why he does that,
we're told in John that Jesus understood that these men ran
out after he did this miracle and fed them, that they wanted
to make him king. The Israelites [Jews] were looking for a
king, a Messiah. And Jesus is the Messiah, but Jesus came
initially as a servant to save, and [he will come] later as
the King to reign. But they wanted this king, kind of a political
thing. They had an agenda, to get this guy here that is performing
miracles and meeting needs and he a compassionate guy. 'Why
don't we make him king? He can help us with our agenda and
the things we want.' And Jesus knew that, and that's not why
he came. So he put the disciples in the boat and immediately
said "Let's set sail, man." Well he himself went up upon the
mountain that was behind them there--just beautiful mountains
around the Sea of Galilee--and went up there to pray. As the
disciples set sail he told them to go to Bethsaida. And as
they were rowing--they left at early evening--we find them
in this verse here, about eight hours have gone by, it's now
between 3 to 6 am in the morning, and the disciples are still
out there rowing. The reason why they're rowing [and not sailing]
is because there's a strong headwind and they're rowing and
they're rowing, and they're rowing, and they haven't got very
far. In fact, they've only made it about three to three and
a half miles. Kind of frustrating. But you've got to hand
it to the disciples for their determination. Jesus just said,
"Go over there" and they got in there and just continued to
row and row and row to get over there. And, I guess the road
of disobedience would have been a little easier, to go back
and find a warm bed and kick back, but they just kept rowing,
and here they are in these waves and wind. Jesus said to go
over to the other side, so they're going to get to the other
side.
With that I think of Paul. Paul said, "Not that I have already
attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, I set for
that goal, I keep on pressing on." I've been thinking about
that. That thought has been stirring in my mind for a few
weeks, of just pressing on, resting in the grace and power
of God, yet pressing on and pressing on. Not attaining the
goal (yet) but I'm going to keep working at it and setting
my life for the goal.
Well Jesus is up on the mountain, these disciples are in this
boat, they're straining and not making a lot of progress and
in the many hours that have gone by they must be real tired
by now. Yet Jesus sees them. His eye's upon them, can see
them out there on the water, a few miles out, just straining
and straining. And maybe you feel like that this morning.
God has told you to do such and such, take such a path, whatever
it might be, and you've tried it and you find yourself struggling
and straining and it just isn't easy. Yet God led you to go
this way and that way and you're just having the hardest time
of it. [It's interesting to be typing this, knowing this very
web site I'm typing this for is the assignment the Lord's
put on my heart to do, and is being talked about right here
in the last sentence! It hasn't been easy, but it has been
exciting.] Well you can be encouraged, no doubt, as you read
in Psalm 139 too, and see that God knows right where you're
at, his eye's upon you. He hasn't forgotten you for a moment.
In fact, he's got you in the best place you could be. Well,
Jesus then, steps onto the water and amazingly walks on the
water out to the disciples as they're on the boat. I can just
picture what it was like, as one of the disciples looked out
and saw this person on the water as the waves are going up
and down. You know that would freak me out, and probably freaked
that person out. You know Peter or whoever, grabbed Andrew
and said, "Andrew! Check this out! I think I can see somebody
out on the water. Looks like a ghost or something." And he
goes, "You know, I think it is too!" Well, you know, you've
got 12 disciples on one side of the boat going "WHAT IN
THE WORLD IS THAT OVER THERE!?" and they start to scream
and holler, you know. I don't know if God has a sense of humor,
but it must have been amusing anyway for Jesus to hear these
disciples as they were screaming and freaking out there on
the boat. Reminds me when I was young, I was on my bike one
day, it was night time. I had stayed over my friend's too
late. And we were in southern Maine and I had to go from my
friend's house to our house and it was through the woods,
three miles, and there weren't any houses on this road and
it was night time and I was like, "Oh man, I can't believe
I stayed this late, and it's dark." I got on my ten-speed
and started heading down this road and I don't know why, but
there was a lady dressed in black walking down the middle
of the road, middle of the night, you know. I'm peddling my
bike and look up and see this lady, and you know, being a
young teenager--like--"There's a witch!"--or--"A ghost!!"
or something. I still remember that. And I started peddling
as fast as I could. I was so scared. I don't know what this
lady was doing, or what was going on. All I know was I was
scared as I hit hyper-warp-drive on my ten-speed to get home.
But the disciples are in this boat and this Jesus, which has
never happened before, it's not a human thing, that's the
point that Jesus is showing the disciples--he's not a man
[he's both God and man, God in flesh, but having all the power
of God at his beck and call, obviously]. Man can't solve all
the problems of man. But here's Jesus walking on the water
to them. And when he walks to the boat, he then begins to
turn at an angle and acts as is he's going to walk by them.
And they are just in great fear and troubled. But then he
says, "Be of good cheer, it is I. Do not be afraid."
Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 43. (We're just about done here.)
I found this Scripture before. Maybe you believe you're in
the right place where God wants you, and yet there's waves
and struggle, there's straining. It's not easy. Be encouraged
to know that God sees where you're at. But not only that,
Jesus is with you. And I believe he says the same to you today.
He says, "Be of good cheer, it's I, don't be afraid. I'm with
you." This verse in Isaiah has been an encouragement to me
at times when I find myself in difficult waters. Isaiah 43:2,
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And
through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you
walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the
flames scorch you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One
of Israel, your Saviour." And God said, he said, "I am your
saviour. When you go through the troubled waters know that
I am with you. You're not going to be consumed by the waters,
you're not going to drown in the waters of life, when you
go through the fires of life, you're not going to be consumed
and burned." And there you see a great picture of that in
Mark chapter six, as Jesus is right there with these disciples
at a very straining time, one of those troubled waters times
of life.
Well, he gets on the boat, and immediately the winds cease
and they're in just great amazement and just marvel at what's
taken place. But it says in verse 52 that they don't understand
about the loaves because their heart was hardened. It's kind
of a strange little note, but they didn't understand that
Jesus was the Son of God. When he multiplied those fish and
loaves they didn't understand exactly what was going on. But
now with the walking on the water they're in just complete
awe. And turn to Matthew chapter 14. Matthew writes about
this account too. Verse 32, "And when they got into the boat
the wind ceased." It says "they" there because Peter, you
remember, in John and here in Matthew, Peter stepped off the
boat, and says, "Hey Jesus, I'd like to walk out on the water."
And he actually was the second person to walk on water for
a moment before he got scared and sank. And sometimes the
storms of life will do that to us too. We'll be in a time
of despair but then as we see Christ, man, we'll find strength
and even faith to do things that we didn't do before. But
here, Peter and Jesus now get back into the boat, verse 32,
and then verse 33, "Then those who were in the boat came and
worshipped him saying, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'" And
it just began to really sink in at this point, who
was with them--not just a great prophet, not just a miracle
worker, not just a guy who had great teaching, but God himself
had stepped off his throne to become a man who was in their
boat. And they were like, "You are the Son of God." "You are
Divine." It began to really sink in. Jesus tested them to
show them about his character and Jesus does the same to you.
He takes you through times of testing so that he can reveal
his character to you as you get to that point of despair,
going, "I don't understand, this is not right, I don't get
it, how is this going to work out?" Well then he works it
out. And you're like, "Wow! God you're real!! You're amazing!
I can't believe--it was impossible for that situation to work
out!" You see that's happened to me multiple times since
I've been here. And that's why today I just don't need to
see God. I don't need to physically see him. I see what he
does in my life and how he's around me. And he's so real.
You know there's times when I've been in despair and said,
"How can it ever work out? I can't believe this situation.
This is impossible." And God, testing my faith, says, "Don't
forget, I'm here." And he works out the situation. Jesus,
you're real, man. We learn about Christ and his character,
as we venture into those troubled waters. You know, the disciples
were the only ones to see this miracle, Jesus walking on the
water, and maybe you're in a place where God is going to reveal
himself to you in a very special way to teach you about his
character--and the result is always that you just worship
God--you worship him in awe.
Well, my conclusion is from John chapter six, verse 26. "Jesus
answered them and said, 'Most assuredly I say to you, you
seek me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate
of the loaves and were filled..." This is a little bit later.
John gives us an account where people are at Jesus' feet again,
he says, "You seek me, you're like a dog, you give food to
a homeless dog and you'll never get rid of him. You give food
to a cat in your neighborhood, a stray cat, and that cat will
be at your door everyday." He says, "You guys are like that.
I fed you some bread and now you won't leave me alone. But
that's the reason why, because I fed you--you've got physical
desires, but no spiritual desires." He says, "Do not labor
for food that perishes, but for food which endures to everlasting
life which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father
has set his seal upon him.' And they said to him, 'What shall
we do that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered and
said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in
him whom he sent.' Therefore they said to him, 'What sign
will you perform then that we may see it and believe you?
What work will you do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert
as it is written, 'He gave bread from heaven to eat.' And
Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did
not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you
the true Bread from heaven, for the Bread of God is he who
comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' And they
said to him, 'Lord, give us this Bread always.' And Jesus
said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me
shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never
thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do
not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me.
And the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out...'"(John
6:27-37). Jesus kind of ties it all together a little later
as he says, "You know, all this is going on, I'm trying to
show you that I am the Bread of life. I'm not the means to
the end, I am the end. I am the destination.
You know you've gathered around me because you're seen me
feed you, perform some miracles." He says, "That's not the
point. What you need, is you need me, I am the Bread of life.
I've come to give life. You're a sinner and the wages of sin
is death. God is a righteous God, but I've come that you can
be forgiven of your sin and you can know God, and have a relationship
with him, and have life, abundant life, and have hope." So
says Jesus, "I am the Bread of life. He who comes to me shall
never be hungry, will truly be satisfied, deep in their hearts,
never thirst spiritually, he says, "all you that come to me
I'll by no means cast out."
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